MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A Finnish lawmaker from the Finns Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, announced Wednesday that he would temporary leave the party amid public uproar over his anti-immigration remarks.
In late July, Olli Immonen published a statement on Facebook saying he was "dreaming" of defeating "this nightmare called multiculturalism."
Immonen said at a press conference that he rejected any kind of violence as a means to achieve political goals and denied any links to extremism. He added that it was solely his decision to resign, without any pressure from the party.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Finland following the lawmaker’s remarks to express support for multiculturalism in the country.
Leader of the Finns Party and deputy prime minister of Finland, Timo Soini, has labeled Immonen’s comments "harmful to the party."
